There When You Fall
by bookdragon01
Summary: Two are better than one... For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe to him that is alone when he falls; for he hath not another to help him up." - Bible: Ecclesiastes. Jim & Bones Friendship fic – not slash .
1. Chapter 1

Title: **There When You Fall**

Summary: "Two are better than one... For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe to him that is alone when he falls; for he hath not another to help him up." - Bible: Ecclesiastes. (Jim & Bones Friendship fic – not slash).

Genre: Friendship/Hurt/Comfort

Rating: T

Disclaimer: Paramount owns it all, I get nothing but an outlet for my imagination.

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"Two are better than one.... For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe to him that is alone when he falls; for he hath not another to help him up."

- Bible: Ecclesiastes

* * *

Jim Kirk walked into the dimly lit bar. Under normal circumstances, it would be nearly empty in the middle of the week at this time of night, but it was close to the holidays and so the bar was filled with the lonely desperately hoping for the miracle of connection that would prevent them from having to face a season of joy alone. The only music was a soft bluesy jazz playing on the sound system, which was almost lost in the low murmur of single people lying to one another.

But Jim, for once, hadn't come here for an easy hook-up, although he was certainly noticed by several pairs of hopeful or predatory eyes as he entered and allowed his own sharp eyes to adjust to the gloom. No, Jim had come to this particular dive seeking one particular person. After circling the bar, he found him, tucked away in a hidden booth, so far into his cups that he seemed to be trying to melt into the dark wood of a table that held far too many empty glasses.

"Bones?" Jim queried quietly, hoping his friend was still at least capable of speech.

"Wha ya doin' here, kid?" McCoy responded in something between a drunken slur and a thick drawl.

Jim smiled gently. "I came to find you, Bones. I think maybe we ought to get you back to the dorm now. End of the term, you know, and we've exams tomorrow."

"Pffft. Eggsams." McCoy scoffed. "Ah knew mo' 'bout physy ..physicy …the insides o' hum'noids than mos o' tha class when I got here." He swigged another shot. "B'sides, whas it matter? Straight As won't make Joc lemme see ma lil girl."

"Bones," Jim sat down next to him and put an arm around his shoulders. "This won't help that either."

Bones shook his arm away with a surly shrug. "Sure will. Few mo' o these, I'll blackout – no mo' pain and mah head'll hurt too bad tomorra ta think 'bout it."

Jim frowned, briefly wondering what their Vulcan professor would say to that display of logic; probably nothing useful.

"Look, Bones, I know this sucks." Jim pulled him around, trying to push through layer of alcoholic fog and sorrow by sheer force of will. "But you can't let it do this to you. That'd be like letting the bitch win."

"She got mah Jo, got mah life, she _already_ damn well won." McCoy spat and downed the rest of his glass.

"No, Bones. _You_ still have your life and as long as you do, you can't give up. We _can_ find a way to make this right, but only if you hold on and refuse to let this battle decide the war."

For just an instant the despair on Bones' face slackened and Jim thought he might actually have gotten through, but then his friend's eyes glazed over as the contents of that last drink hit home. It wasn't the blackout he had been looking for, but he was getting close and certainly past any further attempts at coherent reasoning. Jim rummaged in the medkit Bones carried like a talisman and pulled out a hypo.

"You know I really wish I could enjoy being the one doing this to you for a change." Jim muttered, pressing the hypo to his friend's neck. There wasn't enough detox in the hypo to bring him back to sobriety – that would have been too cruel – but at least he wouldn't pass out on the way back and _might_ not heave all over Jim or their room tonight.

Jim pulled an arm around his shoulder as the hypo kicked in. "Come on, Bones." he said, hefting his friend's unwilling body into motion. "If you think your ex is a bitch, just wait 'til the alarm goes off for that 0600 drill."

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AN: I imagine this happening toward the end of their first semester together at the Academy.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2 –** **When You're Not Strong**

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"A faithful friend is a strong defense: and he that hath found such a one hath found a treasure. Nothing doth countervail a faithful friend, and his excellence is invaluable. A faithful friend is the medicine of life…"

-Bible Apocrypha: Sirach 6:14-16

* * *

It had been less an away mission than a slaughter. Their security detail was gone – all kids, Bones thought, barely out of the Academy and not ready to face a situation that involved real death and mayhem. Bones was nearly ill himself at the way they'd died, but now it was just him and Jim, holed up in a dark, damp place and hoping Spock could work a miracle and find a way to beam them out and soon.

Or at least Bones was hoping. Jim was bleeding in a dozen places, and while Bones could patch him up, he'd lost a lot of blood and was feverish from exposure. Still, he'd seen Jim pull through worse. The problem was that he didn't seem to be tapping into that personal well of infinite pigheadedness that usually got him through. Bones had watched his friend's grip on that cocksure refusal to lose slip with every man they'd seen fall, unable to do more than continue to evade and try to survive. Jim had lost crew before, but not so many and not like this. Now, when Bones looked into his eyes, that will to make it wasn't there, as if he'd decided that letting himself die was the only atonement he could offer.

"Dammit!" Bones shook him when his eyes started to glaze. "Don't give up. Don't let those bastards win."

"Dead, all dead …my decision," he half-mumbled, half-cried, slurring his words in near delirium, "…_my_ fault."

McCoy gave him another hypo to bring the fever down, but he didn't know how to bring his spirit back. Jim had survived so much – emotionally distant mother, abusive stepfather, the death camps of Tarsus IV – and not only hadn't he been crippled by it, he'd thrived and gone on to achieve more than most people who'd had every advantage. The psychologists called the rare folks like him 'transcenders', and while the name fit, they still didn't have a clue why some small percentage of people rose above circumstances than broke damn near everyone else.

But Jim seemed up against a breaking point now. He could roll with any punch thrown at him personally, but the impact of killing blows to people he held himself responsible for was driving him down.

"Stay with me, Jim." he urged, not sure if Jim was even hearing him. "Not one of them would blame you and not one of them would want you to join them."

Jim's head rolled in a small gesture of denial.

"Dammit, Jim, I don't _do_ pep talks or inspiring speeches, that's your thing, but if you let this battle decide the war, then you'll have let them die in vain – _then_ you'll be at fault. Hold on, Jim. _Decide_ to hold on."

The medicine was beginning to clear the fever haze. Jim's blue eyes worked to focus and he clasped Bones' hand. "You give …good pep talk." he managed in a hoarse whisper.

McCoy smiled softly and held his hand, willing him strength. But as the hum of a transporter beam became discernible, he leaned close. "Tell anyone I gave a pep talk, Jim, and this trip will look like a walk in the park."

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_AN: I went with the Sirach (biblical apocrypha) quote because of the reference to medicine, but came close to using Job 6:13-14 instead (Do I have any power to help myself now that success has been driven from me? A despairing man should have the devotion of his friends...)._

_Two parallel chapters are all I intend to write for this story. If it inspires you to write more, please do. _


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